Rubber shoe



(No MbdeL) W. A.. MAGLEOD.

RUBBER SHOE.

No. 352,199. Patented'Nov. 9, 1886.

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICFQ WILLIAM- A. MAoLnoi), OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RUBBER SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,199, dated November 9, 1886. Application filed August 24, 1886. Serial No. 211,716. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concer'n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. MAoLEoD, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forminga part hereof, in whic Figure l is a side elevation of a rubber shoe, showing my improvement, Fig. 2 is a crosssection on line a: m, Fig. 1.

In rubber shoes as commonly made, which have a low, cut or comparatively low cut upper, the sides of the shoe along the shank do not hugthe shank of the boot or shoe which is worn underneath; but, on the contrary, a space is generally left at this point between the'shoe and the rubber, which allows snow and water to get inside the rubber and so penetrate the shoe'and wet the feet of the wearer. This slackness of the rubber at the shank results from the fact that the foot is Wider at the ball and heel than at the intermediate shank part, and as rubbers are ordinarily fitted snugly to the shoe in order to hold them on, the shank of the rubber is stretched tightly between the ball of the foot and the heel,thus straightening the sides of the rubber and holding them away from the inwardly-curved shank of the boot or shoe.

' The object of my invention is the construction of a rubber which shall cling closely to the boot or shoe along the shank as well as around the heel and the front of the upper; and itv consists in a rubber provided with a metallic strip, having some spring quality, so placed as to press the sides of the rubber inwardly and hold them snugly against the boot or shoe. v

In the drawings, A represents the rubber shoe, and a the spring which is placed at the shank part thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, preferably between the upper and its lining. The spring a, which is arranged transversely of the shoe and extends from the sole or foot bearing portion thereof upward to the tops of the sides of the shoe, or nearly so, is bent into a shape corresponding to the shape of the rubber at the shank in cross-section, (see Fig.

2,) the ends of the spring,which are provided with the cross-piece I), being bent inwardly toward each other a sufficient distance, so that when the shoe is inserted in the rubber these ends will bear against the shoeshank. The pressure of the spring against the shoe may be increased or diminished, as desired, by bending the ends inwardly, and, if the sides of the rubber are high enough, the spring will also serve to keep the rubber in place on the shoe. -At the ends of the spring are provided the pieces I), which are laid on either side of the rubber at the upper edge thereof and secured in any suitable manner, and may or may not be secured to the ends of the spring a. I prefer that these pieces be a part of the spring, as they are in that case less liable to injure the rubber shoe. The pieces b serve to stiffen the upper edges of the sides of the rubber along the shank, and thus aid the spring in holding the edge of the entire shank portion against the boot or shoe.

As Will be obvious, the length and width of the piece I) and the width or shape of the spring a are not material, but may be modified, as desired.

The position of the spring at the shank is such that it does not interfere in any way with the use of the shoe, and I prefer to use a thin spring and to place it between the rubber and the lining, which will ordinarily serve sufficiently to hold it in position; although other 7 means of securing the spring may be employed, if desired. l

What I claim is 1. An overshoe provided at its shank portion forward of its heel with a transverse spring extending from the sole portion upward to the tops of the sides of the shoe, or approximately so, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An overshoe provided at its shank portion with a transverse spring, a, concealed by the lining of the shoe, and having at its np-' per ends the longitudinal extension-pieces b, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' WM. A. MACLEOD.

Witnesses:

M. A. THOMPSON, FRANCIS H. LINCOLN. 

